The invention concerns a surgical instrument preferably for high frequency surgery wherein an electrode can be covered by an axially movable housing.
Surgical instruments for high-frequency surgery have been well known for some time in various models. U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,008 describes an electric surgical instrument that is equipped on its distal end with a monopolar or bipolar coagulation electrode, from which a needle electrode suitable for cutting can be extended as needed. The instrument has the disadvantage that the operator must move the needle electrode manually out of the instrument while simultaneously activating the cutting mode of the high-frequency surgical instrument being used, and thus the handling in general is more difficult.
Patent application DE 195 37 897.0 presents a multi-function element which incorporates various individually guidable and activatable applicators, cutting and coagulation electrodes, a laser and an ultrasound wave and the like, in a revolver arrangement within the apparatus. An individual applicator is moved to the distal end of the instrument into working position by way of a piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and/or hydraulic activator. The activator can also be directly addressed by way of a speech recognition module. Such a multivalent device, however, is costly.
Therefore, this invention aims to propose a simple surgical instrument, preferably for high-frequency surgery, that is economical to produce and simple to operate.
The basic idea of the invention is to provide a surgical instrument, preferably for high-frequency surgery, the various functions of which can be controlled with one hand.
For this purpose the instrument includes a handling device, a housing, connections for high-voltage current and gas, and an exchangeable electrode on its distal end.
Control of the instrumentxe2x80x94that is, the movement of the electrode in and out of the housing, or the retracting and extending of the housing, and the change from cutting to APC (argon-plasma-coagulation) modexe2x80x94occurs through the longitudinally mounted handling device, which consists basically of a grip handle and a movable handle.
In this process, the grip handle is securely gripped in the palm of the operator""s hand and the thumb is on the movable handle. By moving the thumb, the operator activates the handle in such a way that the electrode can be moved along the longitudinal axis into working position or into the housing.
Through spring tension the electrode can be automatically retracted into the housing, so that injuries are avoided or any damage to the electrode is prevented. The electrode can be exposed or covered up alternatively or in combination, by means of longitudinal sliding of the housing which is connected to the handle.